Sunday, August 14, 2011

My Husband, My Hero?

I have a confession to make. Sometimes I give Jerry trouble about how easy his job is. In fact, a LOT of people give Jerry trouble about how easy his job is. I know I shouldn't. I know they shouldn't. But here-in lies the problem:

1. On a typical day, Jerry goes to work around 11 am, he flies a few times, and then is home by 6:30 pm.
2. Once every 4-6 weeks, he gets to go on a "cross-country" where he and a few other pilots hop into planes and fly somewhere awesome for the weekend.
3. Did I mention that not only does the government pay him to go on the trip, but they also pay for the entire trip? Hotel, rental car, food, expenses.
4. There is a bar down the hall from his office where a few times a month the pilots will get together to BS, drink a few drinks, play some pool, and be macho.
5. He gets a great paycheck for doing all of this!

Now, I know, I must be fair. On the flip side there is:

1. The flying is physically and mentally draining.
2. He has gone through a multi-million dollar training program to fly these multi-million dollar aircraft.
3. He has been deployed 4 times. A few times to paradise and twice to hell.
4. He has missed many birthdays, recitals, and special occasions.
5. He paid his dues and now he's reaping the benefits.
6. He would go down fighting to keep you, me, all of us, free.

I really shouldn't complain. As a stay-at-home mom of three wild animals, it is my job to moan and groan from time to time. After all, I don't get all expenses paid mini-vacations once a month. Or good money for a job well done. Or a 7 hour work day. But I also don't have to leave my family for months on end to go live and fight in hell.

We both chose carefully what paths we were going to follow in this life, and we're both basically content where we are.